Package-carrier for vehicles.



J. S. DUNHAM.

PACKAGE CARRIER FOR VEHICLES. APPLICATION FILED 001.24, 1913.

L 16,0890 Patented Nov. 3, 1914.

WITNESSES ATTORNEY I JAMES STEWARD DUNHAM, OF BIRMINGHAM, MICHIGAN.

PACKAGE-CARRIER FOR VEHICLES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

' ratented News, 1914.

Original application filedSeptember 19, 1912, Serial No. 721,208. Divided and this application filed October 24, 1913. Serial No. 797,105.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES S. DUNHAM, a citizen of the United States, residing at Birmingham, in the county of Oakland and State of Michigan, have invented a new and useful Package- Carrier for Vehicles, of which the following is a specificatipn.

The invention relates to a package carrier for vehicles, and is a division of an application filed by me Sept. 19, 1912, Serial No. 721,208, for an improvement in delivery wagons.

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction of package car riers, and to rovide a simple, e-fiicient and inexpensive evice of strong and durable construction, adapted to be readily applied to delivery wagons and capable of increasing the carrying capacity thereof, and of enabling the same to carry barrels and other large packages, which cannot be arranged withinthe body of a vehicle of this ,character.

A further object of the invention is to provide a package carrier of this character adapted when not in use to fold compactly against the rear end of the body of the vehicle.

novel combination ofparts hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawing, and pointed out in the claims hereto appended; it being understood that various changes in the orm, proportion, size and minor details of construction, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrificing any of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawing :,Figure '1 is a side elevation of a delivery wagon provided with a package carrier, constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the package carrier. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional View through the rear portion of the delivery wagon, illustrating the manner of folding the package carrier against the same.

Like numerals of reference designate corresponding parts in all "the figures of the drawing.

in the accompanying drawing in which is illustrated the preferred embodiment of the invention, the package carrier, which is designed to be arranged at the back of the body 1 of the delivery wagon, shown and described. in the aforesaid application or an analogous vehicle, consists substantially of a foldable shelf composed of inner and outer sections 2 and 3 connected together by suitable hinges 4. The inner section 2, which is provided at its ends with upwardlyproject- 'ing wings 5, .is connected at its inner or front edge with the rear end of the bed or bpx 6 of the wagon bod 1 by means of hinges 7, .provided with inge elements 8, which are secured to the rear end board 9 of the box or bed 6. The relative rigid hinge elements 8 are provided at the bottom with integral horizontal supporting arms 10, located below the plane of the pintles 11 of the hinges 7 and extendin rearwardly beyond the vert'm'al plane 0 the said pintles and constituting means for supporting the inner or front section of the foldable shelf in a horizontal or substantially horizontal position. Any other suitable means ma'y,however, be employed for limiting the down ward movement of the inner hinged section of the shelf. The hinges 4 and 7 are preferably provided with a common intermediate leaf 12, extending across the lower or With these and other objects in view, the invention consists in the construction and outer face of the inner or front section 2 of the foldable shelf and forming a strong construction for hinging the two sections together and to the wagon body.

The outer or rear section is provided. at its rear or outer face with eyes or loops 13, arranged at the ends of the said outer section and receiving a chain 1 1. The chain 14, which extends alon the outer 01' lower face of the section 3 of t e foldable shelf, has its terminals extending from the said section 3 to the sides of the wagon body, which are provided with suitable links or rings 15. The terminal portions of the chains, which are adapted to pass throu h the links or rings 15, are provided with 100kS 16, which may either directly engage the links or rings 15 or be engaged with links of the chain 14 for securing the outer section 3 in its adjustment. The foldable shelf is adapted to be arranged in an extended position, as illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawing-with both of its leaves in a horizontal position, or it may be partially folded by swinging the outer section 3 upwardly to the position, illustrated in Fig. 1 of the drawing. In this position, the inner or front section 2 is supported in a horizontal position by the rigid rearwardly projecting arms of the hinge elements 8. The package carrier may ul-zo he completely folded or arranged fiat against the rear end of the body of the vehicle. as illustrated in Fig. 3 of the drawing, both of the sections of the shelf occupying 'a vertical position and being in the same vertical plane. The foldable shelf when arranged fiat against the rear end of the body of the wagon extends slightly above the horizontal plane of the links or rings 15, and the chain 14 is adapted to secure the hinged sections of the foldable shelf in this position.

Vh at is claimed is l. The combination with a vehicle body having a closed rear end, of a package carrier comprising a foldable shelf composed of inner and outer sections hinged together, the inner section being also hinged to the body at the rear end thereof and the said sections being foldable against the said closedend, means for limiting the downward swing of the inner section for supporting the same in substantially a horizontal position, and separate adjustable means con necting the outer section with the body and constructed to support the outer section in either an inclined or horizontal position, and also for securing the package carrier in its folded position.

2. The combination with a vehicle body having a closed rear end, of a package carrier comprising a foldable shelf composed of inner and outer sections hinged together, the inner section being also hinged to the body at the rear end thereof, and the said sections being foldable against the said closed end, means for limitin the downward swing of the inner section For supporting the same in a horizontal position, chains connected with the outer section and with the vehicle body and arranged to support the said section in either an inclined or horizontal position and adapted also to secure the shelf in its folded position against the vehicle body, and sides or wings mounted on the inner section at the ends thereof and located below the chains when the latter are arranged to support the outer section in either an inclined or horizontal position.

3. The combination with a vehicle body, of a package carrier comprising a foldable shelf composed of inner and outer sections, hinges for the said sections consisting of intermediate leaves secured to and extending across the inner section of the foldable shelf, rigid hinge elements secured'to the vehicle body and hinged to the inner ends of the said intermediate leaves and provided with projecting'means extending rearwardly beneath the inner section and adapted to support the same, and rear leaves secured to the outer section of the foldable shelf and hinged to the rear ends of the intermediate leaves.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

JAMES STEWARD DUN HAM.

\Vitnesses:

THOS. H. Conn, ARTHUR PECK. 

